Will Hurricane Lee affect Florida State vs. Boston College football game?

Dan Rorabaugh and Jennifer Sangalang, Tallahassee Democrat
Updated ·5 min read
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

There's a big football game this weekend between Florida State and Boston College. There was also a big storm churning out in the Atlantic named Hurricane Lee.

Lee, which fell to a post-tropical cyclone on Saturday, keeps moving up the coast and has brought heavy winds and rain to New England since Friday. At noon Saturday, the Seminoles and Eagles will play in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts.

FSU is ranked No. 3 in the country and is looking to open their ACC conference schedule with another big win. Seminoles quarterback Jordan Travis is looking like a Heisman Trophy candidate, but how will his passes reach Johnny Wilson and Keon Coleman if he's facing 45 mph winds?

"The ‘Noles may face driving rain and low-end tropical-storm-force gusts in Boston on Saturday if Lee tracks more towards Maine, or intermittent showers and blustery winds with a path towards Nova Scotia," said Ryan Truchelut, chief meteorologist at Tallahassee-based WeatherTiger.

Hurricane Lee tracker: Follow the storm's path ahead of arrival off New England coast

Will Lee affect the game? Here's what to know.

Will Lee affect Massachusetts?

As of 8 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 16, strong winds, coastal flooding and heavy rains from Post-Tropical Cyclone Lee were occurring in parts of New England and Atlantic Canada, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.

A "hurricane watch" means that hurricane conditions are possible within the watch area. A watch is typically issued 48 hours before the anticipated first occurrence of tropical-storm-force winds, conditions that make outside preparations difficult or dangerous. As of Saturday morning, a hurricane watch was in effect for:

  • New Brunswick from the U.S./Canada border to Point Lepreau, including Grand Manan Island

  • Nova Scotia from Digby to Ecum Secum

A "tropical storm warning" means tropical storm conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area within 36 hours. As of Saturday morning, a tropical storm warning was in effect for:

  • Westportm Massachusettsm northward to the U.S./Canada border

  • Martha's Vineyard

  • Nantucket

  • New Brunswick from the U.S./Canada border to Fort Lawrence, including Grand Manan Island

  • New Brunswick from Shediac to Tidnish

  • Nova Scotia from Fort Lawrence to Point Tupper

Where is Lee headed?

The National Hurricane Center reported as of 8 a.m. Friday, Post-Tropical Cyclone Lee was about 160 miles south-southeast of Eastport, Maine and about 185 miles south-southwest of Halifax, Nova Scotia. Lee had maximum sustained winds of 80 mph and was moving north at 25 mph.

Will Lee affect Boston College vs. FSU football game?

The game is scheduled to begin at noon Saturday. Alumni Stadium, where the Seminoles and Eagles will play in Chestnut Hill, is less than 10 miles from the South Boston Waterfront.

Tropical storm conditions are occurring along the coast of New England, meaning sustained winds are anywhere from 39-73 mph. While the center of Lee is expected to remain dozens of miles offshore, it is a massive storm about 390 miles across. As it moved north Friday, it was 640 miles across, about the size of Montana.

Forecasts for Chestnut Hill on Saturday call for winds of 14-20 mph. NOAA calls for wind gusts as high as 38 mph and a 40% chance of rain with new rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch.

FSU vs. BC updates: Follow live as No. 3 Florida State football opens 2023 ACC schedule at Boston College

On Saturday morning, storm swells at Boston Harbor were expected to be 1-3 feet.

The wind and rain are likely to down trees and could cause power outages, the National Hurricane Center said. However, NOAA's predictions show heavy rain from Hurricane Lee isn't expected to reach as far west as Boston. The heaviest flooding is forecast to fall on Cape Cod and Maine.

How is FSU football preparing for Lee?

Florida State coach Mike Norvell was asked earlier this week how the team was preparing for the possible storm.

"Just say some prayers and hope we get some opportunities for it," Norvell said of potentially playing in extremely windy conditions.

"Wind is always a challenge. When you have quarterbacks who can throw the ball crisp, and obviously our quarterbacks can. It definitely helps in those situations.

"We're doing all we can. Even today we added a couple of wet ball opportunities in our route drills. Those are the things you can control."

Football teams facing poor weather conditions tend to rely on running the ball instead of passing. Florida State is well suited to rely on the ground game: Travis, Trey Benson and company have the No. 23 rushing attack in the country averaging 220.5 yards per game. Boston College has the No. 53 run game at 177 yards per game.

FSU football prediction: Can FSU build momentum vs. BC with Hurricane Lee looming?

How can I watch Boston College vs. Florida State football game?

Florida State vs. Southern Miss can be seen on ABC. Dave Pasch and Dusty Dvoracek will announce the game from the booth with Tom Luginbill as the sideline reporter.

Streaming options include ESPN+ and fuboTV, which offers a free trial to potential subscribers.

Tallahassee Democrat FSU football reporter Ehsan Kassim contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: FSU vs. Boston College game could see wind, rain from Hurricane Lee